US20140238036A1 - Fuel/air mixing system for fuel nozzle - Google Patents
Fuel/air mixing system for fuel nozzle Download PDFInfo
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- US20140238036A1 US20140238036A1 US13/776,620 US201313776620A US2014238036A1 US 20140238036 A1 US20140238036 A1 US 20140238036A1 US 201313776620 A US201313776620 A US 201313776620A US 2014238036 A1 US2014238036 A1 US 2014238036A1
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- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 150
- 238000002485 combustion reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 20
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000009827 uniform distribution Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 12
- 239000006227 byproduct Substances 0.000 description 6
- MWUXSHHQAYIFBG-UHFFFAOYSA-N nitrogen oxide Inorganic materials O=[N] MWUXSHHQAYIFBG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 6
- 239000000047 product Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000567 combustion gas Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005284 excitation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000284 extract Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010926 purge Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/22—Fuel supply systems
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
- F02C7/22—Fuel supply systems
- F02C7/222—Fuel flow conduits, e.g. manifolds
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02C3/00—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid
- F02C3/04—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid having a turbine driving a compressor
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
- F23R—GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
- F23R3/00—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel
- F23R3/02—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel characterised by the air-flow or gas-flow configuration
- F23R3/04—Air inlet arrangements
- F23R3/10—Air inlet arrangements for primary air
- F23R3/12—Air inlet arrangements for primary air inducing a vortex
- F23R3/14—Air inlet arrangements for primary air inducing a vortex by using swirl vanes
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
- F23R—GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
- F23R3/00—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel
- F23R3/28—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel characterised by the fuel supply
- F23R3/286—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel characterised by the fuel supply having fuel-air premixing devices
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05D—INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F05D2220/00—Application
- F05D2220/30—Application in turbines
- F05D2220/32—Application in turbines in gas turbines
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
- F05D—INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F05D2240/00—Components
- F05D2240/10—Stators
- F05D2240/12—Fluid guiding means, e.g. vanes
- F05D2240/127—Vortex generators, turbulators, or the like, for mixing
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
- F23C—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN A CARRIER GAS OR AIR
- F23C2900/00—Special features of, or arrangements for combustion apparatus using fluid fuels or solid fuels suspended in air; Combustion processes therefor
- F23C2900/07001—Air swirling vanes incorporating fuel injectors
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
- F23D—BURNERS
- F23D2900/00—Special features of, or arrangements for burners using fluid fuels or solid fuels suspended in a carrier gas
- F23D2900/14—Special features of gas burners
- F23D2900/14021—Premixing burners with swirling or vortices creating means for fuel or air
Definitions
- the subject matter disclosed herein relates to fuel nozzles, and more specifically, to systems to increase fuel/air mixing within the fuel nozzles.
- a gas turbine engine combusts a mixture of fuel and air to generate hot combustion gases, which may be used to rotate a load, such as an electrical generator.
- the gas turbine engine may include one or more fuel nozzles to direct the mixture of fuel and air into a combustion region of the gas turbine.
- the one or more fuel nozzles may be used to premix the fuel and the air.
- poor mixing of the fuel and the air may reduce the flame stability within the combustion region.
- non-uniform mixtures of fuel and air may increase the amount of undesirable combustion byproducts, such as nitrogen oxides.
- a system in a first embodiment, includes a fuel nozzle.
- the fuel nozzle includes an inner wall defining a central passage extending in an axial direction of the fuel nozzle, a hub wall surrounding the inner wall and defining a first annular passage, an outer wall surrounding the hub wall and defining a second annular passage, and a shroud surrounding the outer wall and defining a third annular passage.
- a swirler may receive air and direct the air into the first annular passage, wherein the swirler includes at least one swirl vane extending from the shroud to the hub wall.
- the at least one swirl vane has an air passage extending between the shroud and the hub wall, and the air passage is coupled to the first annular passage and has a first width adjacent the shroud and a second width adjacent the hub wall, and the second width is larger than the first width defining a diverging outlet into the first annular passage.
- a system in a second embodiment, includes a vane curtain air swirler that may be disposed within a turbine fuel nozzle.
- the vane curtain air swirler includes one or more swirl vanes.
- Each swirl vane has a fuel plenum and a radial air passage that increases in width from an inlet to an outlet of the one or more swirl vanes.
- a method in a third embodiment, includes directing a first portion of air through a first annular passage between a shroud wall and an outer wall of a fuel nozzle. The method also includes directing a second portion of air through a radial air passage of a swirler into a second annular passage between a hub wall and an inner wall of the fuel nozzle.
- the hub wall surrounds the inner wall
- the outer wall surrounds the hub wall
- the shroud wall surrounds the outer wall.
- the radial air passage has a diverging outlet into the second annular passage.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gas turbine system having a fuel nozzle with features to improve the mixing of fuel and air;
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the fuel nozzles of FIG. 1 , illustrating the arrangement of the fuel nozzles within a combustor of the gas turbine system;
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of one of the fuel nozzles of FIG. 2 , illustrating a swirl vane with features to improve fuel/air mixing;
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the swirl vanes of FIG. 3 , taken along line 4 - 4 , illustrating respective air passages with diverging outlets to improve fuel/air mixing;
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of one of the swirl vanes of FIG. 4 , taken within line 5 - 5 , illustrating a diverging outlet.
- the fuel nozzle may include a swirler to deliver air into an axial air passage defined by a hub wall of the fuel nozzle.
- the air flows downstream into one or more premixing tubes (e.g., a group of 2 to 100 premixing tubes), where the air mixes with fuel and is subsequently directed into a combustion region.
- the swirler imparts a swirl (e.g., circumferential velocity) to the air. It is beneficial to control the amount of swirl to avoid non-uniform mixing of the air and fuel within the premixing tubes.
- the swirler includes swirl vanes equipped with an inner wall defining a radial air passage.
- the radial air passage has a diverging outlet into the axial air passage to ensure a generally uniform fuel/air profile in each premixing tube.
- the width of the radial air passage increases as it approaches the axial air passage. The diverging outlet reduces the swirl of air into the premixing tubes, thereby increasing the mixing of fuel and air, increasing flame stability within the combustion region, and reducing the amount of undesirable combustion byproducts.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a gas turbine system 10 with a fuel nozzle 12 (e.g., turbine fuel nozzle) to increase mixing of fuel and air.
- a fuel nozzle 12 e.g., turbine fuel nozzle
- a set of axes will be referenced. These axes are based on a cylindrical coordinate system and point in an axial direction 14 , a radial direction 16 , and a circumferential direction 18 .
- the axial direction 14 extends along a length or longitudinal axis 17 (shown in FIG. 3 ) of the fuel nozzle 12
- the radial direction 16 extends away from the longitudinal axis 17 (shown in FIG. 3 )
- the circumferential direction 18 extends around the longitudinal axis 17 (shown in FIG. 3 ).
- the gas turbine system 10 includes a compressor 20 , a combustor 22 (e.g., turbine combustor), and a turbine 24 .
- the turbine system 10 may include one or more of the fuel nozzles 12 described below in one or more combustors 22 .
- the compressor 20 receives air 26 from an intake 28 and compresses the air 26 for delivery to the combustor 22 .
- a portion of the air 26 is routed to the fuel nozzle 12 , where the air 26 may premix with fuel 30 before entering the combustor 22 .
- the air 26 and the fuel 30 are fed to the combustor 22 in a specified ratio suitable for combustion, emissions, fuel consumption, power output, and the like.
- the fuel nozzle 12 includes a swirler with swirl vanes having diverging outlets to improve the mixing and uniformity of fuel and air, as will be discussed further below.
- the hot combustion products After the mixture of the air 26 and the fuel 30 is combusted, the hot combustion products enter the turbine 24 .
- the hot combustion products force blades 32 of the turbine 24 to rotate, thereby driving a shaft 34 of the gas turbine system 10 into rotation.
- the rotating shaft 34 provides the energy for the compressor 20 to compress the air 26 .
- compressor blades are included as components of the compressor 20 . Blades within the compressor 20 may be coupled to the shaft 34 , and will rotate as the shaft 34 is driven to rotate by the turbine 24 .
- the rotating shaft 34 may rotate a load 36 , such as an electrical generator or any device capable of utilizing the mechanical energy of the shaft 34 .
- the turbine 24 extracts useful work from the combustion products, the combustion products are discharged to an exhaust 38 .
- the gas turbine system 10 includes one or more fuel nozzles 12 with features to improve the mixing and uniformity of the air 26 and the fuel 30 .
- FIG. 2 illustrates an arrangement of the fuel nozzles 12 within the combustor 22 of the gas turbine system 10 . As shown, six fuel nozzles 12 are mounted to a head end 40 of the combustor 22 . However, the number of fuel nozzles 12 may vary. For example, the gas turbine system 10 may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 50, 100, or more fuel nozzles 12 . The six fuel nozzles 12 are disposed in a concentric arrangement. That is, five fuel nozzles 12 (e.g., outer fuel nozzles 42 ) are disposed about a central fuel nozzle 44 .
- the arrangement of the fuel nozzles 12 on the head end 40 may vary.
- the fuel nozzles 12 may be disposed in a circular arrangement, in a linear arrangement, or in any other suitable arrangement.
- the flow of the air 26 and the fuel 30 within the fuel nozzles 12 is discussed below with respect to FIGS. 3-4 .
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the fuel nozzle 12 equipped with a swirler 46 having swirl vanes 48 with diverging air outlets 50 (more clearly shown in FIG. 4 ).
- the diverging outlets 50 may be tapered, conical, and/or gradually increase in width to improve mixing of the air and the fuel in premixing tubes 70 .
- the central fuel nozzle 44 may be equipped with the swirler 46 with the diverging air outlets 50 .
- the swirler 46 may be used within the outer fuel nozzles 42 , the central fuel nozzle 44 , or any combination thereof.
- the fuel nozzle 12 includes an inner wall 51 defining a central passage 54 (e.g., inner cylindrical passage).
- a central passage 54 e.g., inner cylindrical passage
- liquid fuel or purge air for gaseous fuel usage may be routed through the central passage 54 in the axial direction 14 , as shown by arrows 56 .
- a hub wall 58 defines a first annular passage 60 .
- the vane curtain air from the swirler 46 flows through the first annular passage 60 along arrows 62 and into one or more premixing tubes 70 .
- the swirler 46 includes the diverged air outlets 50 to reduce the swirl of the vane curtain air, thereby improving the operability of the fuel nozzle 12 .
- An outer wall 64 surrounds the hub wall 58 , defining a second annular passage 66 .
- the fuel 30 is routed through the second annular passage 66 in the axial direction 14 , as shown by arrows 68 .
- the fuel 30 enters the premixing tubes 70 in the radial direction 16 through at least one fuel hole 71 (e.g., an opening or aperture) in the premixing tubes 70 , as indicated by arrows 72 .
- the fuel 30 mixes with the air 26 to form a combustible mixture and is directed into the combustor 22 .
- a shroud 78 (e.g., annular shroud wall) is disposed about the outer wall 64 , defining a third annular passage 80 .
- a portion of the air 26 enters upstream of swirler 46 in axial direction 14 through the third passage 80 , mixes with the fuel injected from at least one fuel hole 79 coupled to fuel plenum 85 (e.g., fuel passage) within swirl vanes 48 and travels in the axial direction 14 toward the outlet 74 of the fuel nozzle 12 , as indicated by arrows 82 .
- fuel plenum 85 e.g., fuel passage
- a second portion of the air 26 enters the first annular passage 60 radially 16 through the swirler 46 , which includes the one or more swirl vanes 48 circumferentially 18 spaced about an axis of the fuel nozzle 12 . That is, the air 26 flows through one or more vane curtain air passages 49 (e.g., radial air passages) within the swirl vanes 48 .
- the vane curtain air may flow through one or more inlet flow conditioners (e.g., a perforated annular sheet) to meter and diffuse the air into the fuel nozzle 12 .
- the swirl vanes 48 include the diverged air outlets 50 , which reduce the circumferential 18 swirl of the vane curtain air as it enters the first annular passage 60 .
- the diverging outlets 50 help to diffuse, reduce the velocity of, and generally straighten the flow of the vane curtain air toward the premixing tubes 70 (e.g., toward inlets of the premixing tubes 70 ).
- the swirl vanes 48 have two purposes: one to generate swirl in the passage 80 , and another to deliver the vane curtain air with reduced or no swirl into the first annular passage 60 .
- the reduced swirl of the vane curtain air increases the flame stability within the combustor 22 and reduces the formation of undesirable combustion byproducts.
- the premixing tubes each have an axial air inlet 73 at one end 75 of the tube 70 , one or more lateral fuel inlets 71 in a side wall 77 of the tube, and an axial outlet 83 at an opposite end 87 of the tube 70 that discharges a fuel/air mixture from each premixing tube 70 .
- diverging outlet 50 of the swirl vanes 48 substantially reduces the swirl (e.g., circumferential velocity) of the vane curtain air along the first annular passage 60 as it travels in the axial direction 14 .
- the swirl velocity may be approximately zero. The reduced swirl velocity may result in a more uniform distribution of air in each premixing tube 70 and among the premixing tubes 70 , thereby improving the efficiency and operability of the fuel nozzles 12 .
- the straightened vane curtain air mixes with the fuel 30 , which flows radially into the premixing tubes.
- the reduced swirl velocity of the vane curtain air may also result in a more uniform equivalence ratio (i.e., ratio of the actual fuel/air ratio to the stoichiometric fuel/air ratio) in each premixing tube 70 and between the premixing tubes 70 .
- the equivalence ratios within each premixing tube 70 may be between approximately 0.3 to 0.7, 0.4 to 0.6, or 0.53 to 0.56, and all subranges therebetween.
- the increased uniformity of equivalence ratios among the premixing tubes 70 improves the mixing of the fuel 30 and the air 26 , thereby improving the flame stability within the combustor 22 and reducing the amount of undesirable combustion byproducts.
- the combustion of the fuel 30 and the air 26 is made more efficient by the diverging outlet 50 within of the swirl vanes 48 , the geometry of which will be described in greater detail below.
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4 - 4 of FIG. 3 illustrating an embodiment of the swirler 46 having the diverging outlets 50 within each swirl vane 48 .
- the swirl vanes 48 extend from the shroud 78 to the first annular passage 60 .
- the swirl vanes 48 include air passages 49 (e.g., vane curtain air passages 49 ) that extend radially 16 along a length of the swirl vane 48 from the shroud 78 to the hub wall 58 .
- the air passages 49 include the diverged outlets 50 to diffuse the air flow, reduce the circumferential velocity of the air flow, and generally straighten the air flow of the vane curtain air entering the first annular passage 60 .
- the fuel 30 flows through the second annular passage 66 (shown in FIG. 3 ) into one or more fuel holes 79 coupled to fuel plenum 85 (shown in FIG. 3 ) and through the cylindrical fuel passage 81 into the fuel holes 71 on the side wall of the premixing tubes 70 .
- the uniformity of the fuel 30 and the air 26 is improved, such that the equivalence ratio within each premixing tube 70 is approximately equal, as discussed previously.
- FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of one of the swirl vanes 48 having the diverging outlet 50 taken within the line 5 - 5 of FIG. 4 .
- the swirl vane 48 has an inlet 61 (e.g., the vane curtain air inlet 68 ) and an outlet 63 into the first annular passage 60 .
- the swirl vane 48 has an inlet width 84 adjacent the shroud 78 and an outlet width 86 adjacent the hub wall 58 .
- the outlet width 86 is larger than the inlet width 84 , defining the diverging outlet 50 .
- the transition from the inlet width 84 to the outlet width 86 reduces the swirl of (e.g., straightens) the air 26 within the first annular passage 60 and diffuses the air flow, thereby improving the uniformity of the air 26 and the fuel 30 within the combustor 22 .
- the vane curtain air passage 49 within the swirl vane 48 has a constant width portion 88 and a varying width portion 90 , and a transition point 92 disposed therebetween.
- the constant width portion 88 extends along a length 94 of the swirl vane 48 radially 16 from the inlet 61 to the transition point 92 .
- the width of the swirl vane 48 i.e. inlet width 84
- the varying width portion 90 extends along a length 95 of the air passage of the swirl vane 48 .
- the width (e.g., 84 and 86 ) of the vane curtain air passage 49 within the swirl vane 48 gradually changes (e.g., diverges or enlarges along the axial 14 , radial 16 , and/or circumferential 18 directions) from the transition point 92 to the outlet 63 along the length 96 of the varying width portion 90 .
- the width (e.g., 84 and 86 ) of the air passage of the swirl vane 48 may vary along an entire length 95 of the swirl vane 48 . That is, the swirl vane 48 may not include the constant width portion 88 and the transition point 92 .
- the swirl vane 48 also includes a centerline 98 extending radially 16 from the shroud 78 to the hub wall 58 .
- the centerline 98 is offset relative to the longitudinal axis 17 (shown in FIG. 3 ) of the fuel nozzle 12 .
- the centerline 98 divides the swirl vane 48 into two sections 100 and 102 .
- the shape of the swirl vane 48 may vary.
- the centerline 98 may define an axis 112 of symmetry of the swirl vane 48 , and the sections 100 and 102 may be identical. As shown, the sections 100 and 102 form corresponding angles 104 and 106 with the reference lines 108 and 110 .
- the angles 104 and 106 are formed relative to the internal surface 114 of the diverging outlets 50 .
- the references lines 108 and 110 are parallel to the centerline 98 and are crosswise to the longitudinal axis 17 (shown in FIG. 3 ) of the fuel nozzle 12 .
- the angles 104 and 106 are formed relative to the centerline 98 .
- the angles 104 and 106 are generally different and are designed to impart a minimum circumferential velocity to the air 26 as the air passages through the diverging outlets 50 into the first annular passage 60 .
- the angles 104 and 106 may vary according to the shape of the swirl vane 48 and/or the diverging outlet 50 , and thus may be implementation-specific. For example, each of the angles 104 and 106 may be between approximately 1 to 50, 5 to 25, or 10 to 15 degrees, and all subranges therebetween. Further, the angles 104 and 106 may be different from each other.
- the fuel nozzle 12 is equipped with the swirler 46 having the diverging outlets 50 in the swirl vanes 48 .
- the width of the air passages 49 increases toward the hub wall 58 .
- the diverging outlets 50 reduce the circumferential velocity of the air 26 , thereby increasing the uniformity of the air 26 and the fuel 30 within the fuel nozzle 12 .
- the increased mixing of the air 26 and the fuel 30 increases the flame stability within the combustor 22 and reduces the amount of undesirable combustion byproducts.
Abstract
Description
- The subject matter disclosed herein relates to fuel nozzles, and more specifically, to systems to increase fuel/air mixing within the fuel nozzles.
- A gas turbine engine combusts a mixture of fuel and air to generate hot combustion gases, which may be used to rotate a load, such as an electrical generator. The gas turbine engine may include one or more fuel nozzles to direct the mixture of fuel and air into a combustion region of the gas turbine. In addition, the one or more fuel nozzles may be used to premix the fuel and the air. Unfortunately, poor mixing of the fuel and the air may reduce the flame stability within the combustion region. In addition, non-uniform mixtures of fuel and air may increase the amount of undesirable combustion byproducts, such as nitrogen oxides.
- Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimed invention are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.
- In a first embodiment, a system includes a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes an inner wall defining a central passage extending in an axial direction of the fuel nozzle, a hub wall surrounding the inner wall and defining a first annular passage, an outer wall surrounding the hub wall and defining a second annular passage, and a shroud surrounding the outer wall and defining a third annular passage. A swirler may receive air and direct the air into the first annular passage, wherein the swirler includes at least one swirl vane extending from the shroud to the hub wall. The at least one swirl vane has an air passage extending between the shroud and the hub wall, and the air passage is coupled to the first annular passage and has a first width adjacent the shroud and a second width adjacent the hub wall, and the second width is larger than the first width defining a diverging outlet into the first annular passage.
- In a second embodiment, a system includes a vane curtain air swirler that may be disposed within a turbine fuel nozzle. The vane curtain air swirler includes one or more swirl vanes. Each swirl vane has a fuel plenum and a radial air passage that increases in width from an inlet to an outlet of the one or more swirl vanes.
- In a third embodiment, a method includes directing a first portion of air through a first annular passage between a shroud wall and an outer wall of a fuel nozzle. The method also includes directing a second portion of air through a radial air passage of a swirler into a second annular passage between a hub wall and an inner wall of the fuel nozzle. The hub wall surrounds the inner wall, the outer wall surrounds the hub wall, and the shroud wall surrounds the outer wall. The radial air passage has a diverging outlet into the second annular passage.
- These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a gas turbine system having a fuel nozzle with features to improve the mixing of fuel and air; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the fuel nozzles ofFIG. 1 , illustrating the arrangement of the fuel nozzles within a combustor of the gas turbine system; -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of one of the fuel nozzles ofFIG. 2 , illustrating a swirl vane with features to improve fuel/air mixing; -
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the swirl vanes ofFIG. 3 , taken along line 4-4, illustrating respective air passages with diverging outlets to improve fuel/air mixing; and -
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of one of the swirl vanes ofFIG. 4 , taken within line 5-5, illustrating a diverging outlet. - One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
- When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present invention, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
- The present disclosure is directed toward systems for improving fuel and air mixing within fuel nozzles. In particular, the fuel nozzle may include a swirler to deliver air into an axial air passage defined by a hub wall of the fuel nozzle. The air flows downstream into one or more premixing tubes (e.g., a group of 2 to 100 premixing tubes), where the air mixes with fuel and is subsequently directed into a combustion region. The swirler imparts a swirl (e.g., circumferential velocity) to the air. It is beneficial to control the amount of swirl to avoid non-uniform mixing of the air and fuel within the premixing tubes. Poor mixing of the air and fuel may reduce the flame stability in the combustion region, may increase the formation of undesirable combustion byproducts, such as nitrogen oxides, and may also increase the possibility of combustion dynamics excitation. Decreasing the swirl of the air as it flows within the axial air passage may provide a generally uniform distribution of the air into the premixing tubes. To this end, the swirler includes swirl vanes equipped with an inner wall defining a radial air passage. The radial air passage has a diverging outlet into the axial air passage to ensure a generally uniform fuel/air profile in each premixing tube. In particular, the width of the radial air passage increases as it approaches the axial air passage. The diverging outlet reduces the swirl of air into the premixing tubes, thereby increasing the mixing of fuel and air, increasing flame stability within the combustion region, and reducing the amount of undesirable combustion byproducts.
- Turning now to the figures,
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of agas turbine system 10 with a fuel nozzle 12 (e.g., turbine fuel nozzle) to increase mixing of fuel and air. Throughout the discussion, a set of axes will be referenced. These axes are based on a cylindrical coordinate system and point in anaxial direction 14, aradial direction 16, and acircumferential direction 18. For example, theaxial direction 14 extends along a length or longitudinal axis 17 (shown inFIG. 3 ) of thefuel nozzle 12, theradial direction 16 extends away from the longitudinal axis 17 (shown inFIG. 3 ), and thecircumferential direction 18 extends around the longitudinal axis 17 (shown inFIG. 3 ). - As illustrated, the
gas turbine system 10 includes acompressor 20, a combustor 22 (e.g., turbine combustor), and aturbine 24. Theturbine system 10 may include one or more of thefuel nozzles 12 described below in one ormore combustors 22. Thecompressor 20 receivesair 26 from anintake 28 and compresses theair 26 for delivery to thecombustor 22. As shown, a portion of theair 26 is routed to thefuel nozzle 12, where theair 26 may premix withfuel 30 before entering thecombustor 22. Theair 26 and thefuel 30 are fed to thecombustor 22 in a specified ratio suitable for combustion, emissions, fuel consumption, power output, and the like. Unfortunately, if theair 26 and thefuel 30 are not well mixed, the flame stability within thecombustor 22 may be reduced. Accordingly, thefuel nozzle 12 includes a swirler with swirl vanes having diverging outlets to improve the mixing and uniformity of fuel and air, as will be discussed further below. - After the mixture of the
air 26 and thefuel 30 is combusted, the hot combustion products enter theturbine 24. The hot combustion products forceblades 32 of theturbine 24 to rotate, thereby driving ashaft 34 of thegas turbine system 10 into rotation. The rotatingshaft 34 provides the energy for thecompressor 20 to compress theair 26. For example, in certain embodiments, compressor blades are included as components of thecompressor 20. Blades within thecompressor 20 may be coupled to theshaft 34, and will rotate as theshaft 34 is driven to rotate by theturbine 24. In addition, the rotatingshaft 34 may rotate aload 36, such as an electrical generator or any device capable of utilizing the mechanical energy of theshaft 34. After theturbine 24 extracts useful work from the combustion products, the combustion products are discharged to anexhaust 38. - As noted previously, the
gas turbine system 10 includes one ormore fuel nozzles 12 with features to improve the mixing and uniformity of theair 26 and thefuel 30.FIG. 2 illustrates an arrangement of thefuel nozzles 12 within thecombustor 22 of thegas turbine system 10. As shown, sixfuel nozzles 12 are mounted to ahead end 40 of thecombustor 22. However, the number offuel nozzles 12 may vary. For example, thegas turbine system 10 may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 50, 100, ormore fuel nozzles 12. The sixfuel nozzles 12 are disposed in a concentric arrangement. That is, five fuel nozzles 12 (e.g., outer fuel nozzles 42) are disposed about a central fuel nozzle 44. As will be appreciated, the arrangement of thefuel nozzles 12 on thehead end 40 may vary. For example, thefuel nozzles 12 may be disposed in a circular arrangement, in a linear arrangement, or in any other suitable arrangement. The flow of theair 26 and thefuel 30 within thefuel nozzles 12 is discussed below with respect toFIGS. 3-4 . -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of thefuel nozzle 12 equipped with aswirler 46 havingswirl vanes 48 with diverging air outlets 50 (more clearly shown inFIG. 4 ). The divergingoutlets 50 may be tapered, conical, and/or gradually increase in width to improve mixing of the air and the fuel inpremixing tubes 70. In certain embodiments, it may be desirable to equip the outer fuel nozzles 42 with theswirler 46 having the divergingair outlets 50 and to employ a different design for the central fuel nozzle 44. However, in certain embodiments, the central fuel nozzle 44 may be equipped with theswirler 46 with the divergingair outlets 50. In other words, theswirler 46 may be used within the outer fuel nozzles 42, the central fuel nozzle 44, or any combination thereof. - As illustrated, the
fuel nozzle 12 includes aninner wall 51 defining a central passage 54 (e.g., inner cylindrical passage). During operation of thefuel nozzle 12, liquid fuel or purge air for gaseous fuel usage may be routed through thecentral passage 54 in theaxial direction 14, as shown byarrows 56. Ahub wall 58 defines a firstannular passage 60. During operation of thefuel nozzle 12, the vane curtain air from theswirler 46 flows through the firstannular passage 60 alongarrows 62 and into one ormore premixing tubes 70. Again, theswirler 46 includes the divergedair outlets 50 to reduce the swirl of the vane curtain air, thereby improving the operability of thefuel nozzle 12. - An
outer wall 64 surrounds thehub wall 58, defining a secondannular passage 66. During operation of thefuel nozzle 12, thefuel 30 is routed through the secondannular passage 66 in theaxial direction 14, as shown byarrows 68. Thefuel 30 enters thepremixing tubes 70 in theradial direction 16 through at least one fuel hole 71 (e.g., an opening or aperture) in thepremixing tubes 70, as indicated byarrows 72. Within thepremixing tubes 70, thefuel 30 mixes with theair 26 to form a combustible mixture and is directed into thecombustor 22. - A shroud 78 (e.g., annular shroud wall) is disposed about the
outer wall 64, defining a thirdannular passage 80. A portion of theair 26 enters upstream ofswirler 46 inaxial direction 14 through thethird passage 80, mixes with the fuel injected from at least onefuel hole 79 coupled to fuel plenum 85 (e.g., fuel passage) withinswirl vanes 48 and travels in theaxial direction 14 toward theoutlet 74 of thefuel nozzle 12, as indicated byarrows 82. However, a second portion of the air 26 (e.g., vane curtain air) enters the firstannular passage 60 radially 16 through theswirler 46, which includes the one ormore swirl vanes 48 circumferentially 18 spaced about an axis of thefuel nozzle 12. That is, theair 26 flows through one or more vane curtain air passages 49 (e.g., radial air passages) within the swirl vanes 48. In certain embodiments, the vane curtain air may flow through one or more inlet flow conditioners (e.g., a perforated annular sheet) to meter and diffuse the air into thefuel nozzle 12. As noted above, theswirl vanes 48 include the divergedair outlets 50, which reduce the circumferential 18 swirl of the vane curtain air as it enters the firstannular passage 60. The divergingoutlets 50 help to diffuse, reduce the velocity of, and generally straighten the flow of the vane curtain air toward the premixing tubes 70 (e.g., toward inlets of the premixing tubes 70). In other words, theswirl vanes 48 have two purposes: one to generate swirl in thepassage 80, and another to deliver the vane curtain air with reduced or no swirl into the firstannular passage 60. The reduced swirl of the vane curtain air increases the flame stability within thecombustor 22 and reduces the formation of undesirable combustion byproducts. - As shown, the premixing tubes each have an axial air inlet 73 at one end 75 of the
tube 70, one or morelateral fuel inlets 71 in a side wall 77 of the tube, and an axial outlet 83 at an opposite end 87 of thetube 70 that discharges a fuel/air mixture from each premixingtube 70. As illustrated, divergingoutlet 50 of theswirl vanes 48 substantially reduces the swirl (e.g., circumferential velocity) of the vane curtain air along the firstannular passage 60 as it travels in theaxial direction 14. Indeed, when the vane curtain air enters thepremixing tubes 70, the circumferential velocity is substantially less than the axial velocity of the vane curtain air. In certain embodiments, the swirl velocity may be approximately zero. The reduced swirl velocity may result in a more uniform distribution of air in eachpremixing tube 70 and among thepremixing tubes 70, thereby improving the efficiency and operability of thefuel nozzles 12. - Within the
premixing tubes 70, the straightened vane curtain air mixes with thefuel 30, which flows radially into the premixing tubes. As will be appreciated, the reduced swirl velocity of the vane curtain air may also result in a more uniform equivalence ratio (i.e., ratio of the actual fuel/air ratio to the stoichiometric fuel/air ratio) in eachpremixing tube 70 and between thepremixing tubes 70. For example, the equivalence ratios within each premixingtube 70 may be between approximately 0.3 to 0.7, 0.4 to 0.6, or 0.53 to 0.56, and all subranges therebetween. The increased uniformity of equivalence ratios among thepremixing tubes 70 improves the mixing of thefuel 30 and theair 26, thereby improving the flame stability within thecombustor 22 and reducing the amount of undesirable combustion byproducts. As noted above, the combustion of thefuel 30 and theair 26 is made more efficient by the divergingoutlet 50 within of theswirl vanes 48, the geometry of which will be described in greater detail below. -
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 ofFIG. 3 illustrating an embodiment of theswirler 46 having the divergingoutlets 50 within eachswirl vane 48. As shown, theswirl vanes 48 extend from theshroud 78 to the firstannular passage 60. In addition, theswirl vanes 48 include air passages 49 (e.g., vane curtain air passages 49) that extend radially 16 along a length of theswirl vane 48 from theshroud 78 to thehub wall 58. Theair passages 49 include the divergedoutlets 50 to diffuse the air flow, reduce the circumferential velocity of the air flow, and generally straighten the air flow of the vane curtain air entering the firstannular passage 60. Thefuel 30 flows through the second annular passage 66 (shown inFIG. 3 ) into one or more fuel holes 79 coupled to fuel plenum 85 (shown inFIG. 3 ) and through thecylindrical fuel passage 81 into the fuel holes 71 on the side wall of thepremixing tubes 70. Within thepremixing tubes 70, the uniformity of thefuel 30 and theair 26 is improved, such that the equivalence ratio within each premixingtube 70 is approximately equal, as discussed previously. -
FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of one of theswirl vanes 48 having the divergingoutlet 50 taken within the line 5-5 ofFIG. 4 . As shown, theswirl vane 48 has an inlet 61 (e.g., the vane curtain air inlet 68) and anoutlet 63 into the firstannular passage 60. Theswirl vane 48 has aninlet width 84 adjacent theshroud 78 and anoutlet width 86 adjacent thehub wall 58. Notably, theoutlet width 86 is larger than theinlet width 84, defining the divergingoutlet 50. The transition from theinlet width 84 to theoutlet width 86 reduces the swirl of (e.g., straightens) theair 26 within the firstannular passage 60 and diffuses the air flow, thereby improving the uniformity of theair 26 and thefuel 30 within thecombustor 22. - As illustrated, the vane
curtain air passage 49 within theswirl vane 48 has aconstant width portion 88 and a varyingwidth portion 90, and atransition point 92 disposed therebetween. Theconstant width portion 88 extends along alength 94 of theswirl vane 48 radially 16 from theinlet 61 to thetransition point 92. Within theconstant width portion 88, the width of the swirl vane 48 (i.e. inlet width 84) is approximately constant. In addition, the varyingwidth portion 90 extends along a length 95 of the air passage of theswirl vane 48. The width (e.g., 84 and 86) of the vanecurtain air passage 49 within theswirl vane 48 gradually changes (e.g., diverges or enlarges along the axial 14, radial 16, and/or circumferential 18 directions) from thetransition point 92 to theoutlet 63 along thelength 96 of the varyingwidth portion 90. In certain embodiments, the width (e.g., 84 and 86) of the air passage of theswirl vane 48 may vary along an entire length 95 of theswirl vane 48. That is, theswirl vane 48 may not include theconstant width portion 88 and thetransition point 92. - The
swirl vane 48 also includes acenterline 98 extending radially 16 from theshroud 78 to thehub wall 58. Thecenterline 98 is offset relative to the longitudinal axis 17 (shown inFIG. 3 ) of thefuel nozzle 12. Thecenterline 98 divides theswirl vane 48 into twosections swirl vane 48 may vary. Thus, in certain configurations, thecenterline 98 may define an axis 112 of symmetry of theswirl vane 48, and thesections sections form corresponding angles reference lines angles internal surface 114 of the divergingoutlets 50. The references lines 108 and 110 are parallel to thecenterline 98 and are crosswise to the longitudinal axis 17 (shown inFIG. 3 ) of thefuel nozzle 12. In other words, theangles centerline 98. Theangles air 26 as the air passages through the divergingoutlets 50 into the firstannular passage 60. Theangles swirl vane 48 and/or the divergingoutlet 50, and thus may be implementation-specific. For example, each of theangles angles - Technical effects of the disclosed embodiments include systems and methods for improving the mixing of the
air 26 and thefuel 30 within thefuel nozzles 12 of a gas turbine system. In particular, thefuel nozzle 12 is equipped with theswirler 46 having the divergingoutlets 50 in the swirl vanes 48. In other words, the width of theair passages 49 increases toward thehub wall 58. The divergingoutlets 50 reduce the circumferential velocity of theair 26, thereby increasing the uniformity of theair 26 and thefuel 30 within thefuel nozzle 12. The increased mixing of theair 26 and thefuel 30 increases the flame stability within thecombustor 22 and reduces the amount of undesirable combustion byproducts. - This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
Claims (20)
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US13/776,620 US9297535B2 (en) | 2013-02-25 | 2013-02-25 | Fuel/air mixing system for fuel nozzle |
US15/058,418 US10415479B2 (en) | 2013-02-25 | 2016-03-02 | Fuel/air mixing system for fuel nozzle |
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US13/776,620 US9297535B2 (en) | 2013-02-25 | 2013-02-25 | Fuel/air mixing system for fuel nozzle |
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US15/058,418 Active 2035-01-29 US10415479B2 (en) | 2013-02-25 | 2016-03-02 | Fuel/air mixing system for fuel nozzle |
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US20160177837A1 (en) | 2016-06-23 |
US10415479B2 (en) | 2019-09-17 |
US9297535B2 (en) | 2016-03-29 |
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